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wedding was less fun, but not bad. David, Donny, Ramona and Delia were on the Higgins' side of the
wedding, along with Delia's parents. They were probably Jeff Higgins' closest relatives down-time,
second cousins twice removed, or something like that. David never could get it quite straight. One thing
he never would have expected was cousin Jeff turning out to be a hero. Or getting the girl. And boy,
what a girl he had gotten.
July 6, 1631: Police Station
Dan Frost had taken Delia Higgins' request to heart, and not just for her. He now had a list of twenty or
so potential security guards. None were what he really wanted, but the best candidates were either going
into the armed forces or police training. These would be the equivalent of night watchmen. His primary
consideration was that they not be thieves. None of these had that reputation. And three of them had at
least a little bit of English.
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Well, Delia had asked first, and she wanted someone with at least some English. He'd suggest Johan
Kipper, since he had the most English. From the report he was honest enough, and decent enough, unless
drunk.
July 6, 1631: Delia Higgins' House
Johan Kipper was literally cap in hand when he was introduced to Delia Higgins. A gray woolen cap,
with a short baseball cap style bill. The "Police Chief" a title that seem to mean a commander of
constabulary had told him of the job. It was a dream job for an old soldier. Not much labor, just
walking a post. The police chief had also told him a little of his prospective employer.
"I don't want to hear you've caused Mrs. Higgins any trouble. She's a nice lady, and will treat you right. I
expect you to show her respect."
To Dan Frost "lady" was just a polite way of referring to a female. To Johan, "Lady" referred to a
person of rank. Johan wanted this job.
* * *
Delia Higgins had expected a local, not a soldier in the invading army. The interview was uncomfortable
for her.
Delia was looking for more than a night watchman. She needed a link to this time and place. She needed
someone who could help her find a buyer for the dolls. Johan's appearance bothered her. First, because
by any modern standard he was a remarkably ugly man. Mostly that was because of his bad teeth and
the pockmarks.By the standards of his time, he was the low end of average. Second, because part of
what she needed was someone who could speak to the down-timers for her. She hired him, but she
wasn't happy about it.
The agreement was maintenance and one hundred dollars a month. Really poor pay, but all Delia felt she
could afford. As for the job, Johan would live in the "office," and he would be expected to make at least
four walking inspections of the lot each night. There would be occasional errands for him to run. Long
hours but light work.
* * *
For Johan, the interview was much worse. She asked her questions. He answered them in his somewhat
broken English. She asked more questions, seeking clarification. This woman looked at him, really
looked. She didn't examine him like he was a horse or a dog she was thinking of buying. She really saw
him. She acknowledged him like he was a real person. Complex, capable of thought. Like he had value.
She was, as the English might say: "Neither fish nor fowl nor good red meat." He could not find a place in
his world where she belonged. What made it worse, almost intolerably worse, was that he fully realized
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that it was her world that mattered now, not his. And if he couldn't even find where she fit, how was he to
find where he fit?
She had, as far as he could see, the wealth and power of a prosperous townswoman, but she did not act
right. She didn't scorn. Johan was not a stupid man. He had understood better than most what the arrival
of a town from the future meant. He realized that the rules had changed. That these people could do
things that no one else could do.
For instance, despite the fact that she seemed apologetic about it, the "maintenance" turned out to be
much more than Johan expected. To Delia Higgins, "maintenance" includedher paying forhis health and
dental care. It also included uniforms for work and at least some clothing for off work. It included eating
as well as any member of her family did, and his own room, and a bathroom, because they had never
removed the bathroom fittings from the home "mobile home," they called it, whatever that meant that
acted as an office.
Johan was not an evil man, though he often thought he was. For fifty-four years, with one exception, he
had kept his place. Knowing full well that stepping out of it could mean his death. That is a lot of habit.
The thing about chains is they're secure. They're safe. You get used to them. Then you get to depend on
them. Johan had worn the chains of lower-class existence his whole life. He didn't know how to walk
without their weight.
July 7, 1631: Storage Lot
David wasn't favorably impressed by the new night watchman Grandma had hired, and he wasn't sure he
trusted the man around his mother. So he watched him for half the morning. Why not? The bank had
refused the loan. What else was there to do?
David had seen toughs before. When they had lived in Richmond, it had not been in a good part of
town. He knew that they were just people. Some had even been friendly in a strange way. Sort of the
way a lion will lie down with a lamb, as long as he's not hungry. This guy was a bit on the scary side, but
there was something about him. A deference David had never seen before. At least not directed at him.
David realized that the night watchman, Johan, was afraid of him. Not physically afraid, but concerned
about the problems David might cause him.
It made David wonder how to act. He didn't consider, not seriously anyway, picking on the guy, but it
made talking to him seem a less dangerous undertaking. They talked most of the afternoon.
They talked about battles and captains, about work and honor. When it slipped out David almost missed
it's importance. "Ye don't act right, ye up-timers," Johan said. Then seemed embarrassed by the lapse.
"How should we act?" asked David.
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"Ye don't act yer proper place!" Johan said, then apparently tried to take it back. "Sorry Master David,
I spoke out of turn."
But David had an inkling, just an inkling, of what was wrong. With authority he replied, "No. You've said
too much, or not enough, and this may be something we need to know."
He watched as Johan fumbled with the words. "Like I said, sir. Ye don't act yer place. One minute ye're
one thing and the next another. Ye talk like a banker, or a merchant, or a lord or craftsman, or, oh, I
don't know. Ye talk to me the same way ye'd talk to yer president."
David almost popped out with: "Sure, you both work for us." But he didn't, because it wouldn't help.
Instead he asked: "How should we act? If you were hired by a lord or a merchant, how would they act?"
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